I am sure your daughter is very excited about this trip and I hope you are too? Perhaps it is none of my business but why is mom going on the exchange? Will you be needing accommodation down the road from her host family or are you both in need of accommodation. Is this accommodation for Killarney or elsewhere and were you looking for budget hostels or somewhere with spa treatments? Will she be attending school of some sort and if so is this in Killarney? (Since that is where you posted this?) There is so much to do in Ireland - even Killarney - that it would be difficult to answer that with out knowing your interests. I would assume you would like to do some of the touristy stuff but you hint that you want to avoid such if they cross the line and become too touristy. Many would say that Killarney itself is too touristy. I feel that it caters well to tourists and hence we get a lot of them. Many feel that Blarney is a tourist trap of sorts but tourists like to be able to answer yes upon returning home that they did indeed kiss the blarney stone.

A little more guidance and we should be able to help.

Cmore, we would a bit more information about your plans in order to give advice. How long are you staying in Ireland before your daughter takes up her place as exchange student (where?) and where are you flying to/departing from? This would help us helping you.

August is a very busy month so you should have a good think about your plnas, come up with some kind of itinerary, get advice here and then get accommodation sorted.

Cmore,

I believe you could be a "tourist" especially on your first trip. Would you go to Paris and not the Eiffel

Tower? You've heard about the Blarney Stone, Aran Islands, Killarney, and castles all your life and should see them if you want. That said, there is also so much more and these experts will guide you in that direction, so you can incorporate the good, better and best in your trip.